My most often mouse clicked prompt might be the “skip this
ad” button that clears off the ads on most every You Tube video. I imagine that
there are some persons who don’t mind the advertisements and to others they
might even be helpful, yet I feel my space has been trespassed without
permission. I didn’t invite these annoying neighbors into my home – they walked
into the front door on their own without knocking. At least for now I can ask
them to leave, and most do.
For a few years I have toyed with the idea to write down
every ad that I see in a day, just to see how many I am exposed to. I would
include advertisements from TV, internet sites, billboards, print, radio, email,
mail, and on and on. The sources are unlimited. Ads and persuasions are
everywhere.
I have actually started this count a few times on my way to
work in the morning, only to realize how big this project really could become.
Just looking at signage along the roadside I have seen up to 15 or more advertisements
in the first few minutes and first few miles. If I turned on the car radio at
the same time, counting would get out of hand. I haven’t come up with a way to
record the ads I see and hear fast enough to write them all down.
With all the types of media that are available today, it’s impossible
to live a life without persuasions. Of course, in some cases, as with Pandora
Radio, one can pay a monthly fee to listen to music ad free- of course, this is
advertised too!
When one really begins to pay attention, it’s hard to find a
space on earth that isn’t filled up with something to grab your attention. Even
here at the farm, thinking I am alone weeding between rows, the banner planes are
flying over.
